What is The Best Razer Gaming Mouse?

It has been an ongoing debate about whether a good mouse is indeed needed for performing better in-game. While you can get away with a cheap keyboard to play games, having a good gaming mouse can have a significant impact on how you perform in-game. Razer is a company that has established itself as a formidable brand in the gaming world, producing high-quality gaming mice for all sorts of gamers. But what is the best razer gaming mouse you can get your hands on today?

Before answering that questions and going into the specific details of what I consider to be the best gaming mouse from Razer, let me share with you why I came to this conclusion. Three years ago I got into PC gaming and bought a cheap $20 mouse which I thought was sufficient, and it was until it gave up on me a few months down the line. Having heard of Razer before but considering them the “Apple” of gaming, I was not really fond of their products.

Their mechanical keyboards seem overpriced and not on par with what Corsair offers in that department; their mousepads are expensive as well with SteelSeries making far better ones than Razer. If you are looking for the best mechanical keyboard on the market, click HERE.For a quality budget keyboard, check out this link.

All these are facts. Razer relies heavily on brand advertisement and their color syncing software, Razer Synapse to drive sales. So I thought to myself, why should their gaming mice be worth looking at? I was wrong. What Razer fail to deliver in their other product lines, they certainly provide with their gaming mice, which are of high quality and are worth buying at their price point. After doing some extensive research comparing gaming mice, prices and features, I was finally torn between two: The Razer Deathadder Elite and Razer Basilisk.

Razer Deathadder Elite vs. Razer Basilisk

Both gaming mice cost around the same, both are under $100 and come with the same features. It was hard for me to decide which one to choose since I like the simplistic design of the Razer Deathadder Elite but play mostly FPS games so the Basilisk was more appropriate due to its extra design features which I will list in a second. I ultimately decided to go for the Razer Basilisk, and I could not be more happy with my decision. Let me explain why the Razer Basilisk is the best gaming mouse you can get your hands on.

Features & Characteristics

5G Sensor & 16.000 DPI

The Razer Basilisk comes with a 5G sensor and a DPI of 16.000 able to satisfy even the most demanding gamer. Its accuracy in-game is amazing since it tracks your movement in milliseconds with its 1000Hz Ultrapolling. .While the Razer basilisk will not transform you into a pro gamer, you can feel the accuracy and precision when gaming from the first time you use it.

16.000 DPI is overkill, but gamers who play on triple monitors will make use of the high DPI. 16.000 DPI is an amazing feature and is not being offered by any other mouse brand on the market.

Removable DPI Clutch & Customizable resistance scroll

The removable DPI clutch is one of the main reasons why gamers prefer the Razer Basilisk. The DPI clutch was explicitly designed with FPS gamers in mind and allows you to instantly reduce your DPI independent of your set DPI through the Razer software. This feature makes it extremely easy to headshot opponents since it will enable ultimate precision thanks to slowed-down movement. Of course, if you do not want to use it, Razer gives you the option to remove the DPI clutch completely.

One of the things that I did not like about the Razer Basilisk is how sturdy the resistance of the scroll was. Thankfully, you can adjust that to your liking with the customizable resistance scroll on the bottom of the mouse. I turned it all the way down allowing for more natural scrolling with less force.

Programmable Buttons & Razer Mechanical Mouse Switches

Eight programmable buttons allow for personal customization through the Razer Synapse software. Tweaking those to your liking is very easy once you have downloaded the software. Mechanical mouse switches designed by Razer make the mouse durable ensuring that it will last you for a long time.

Razer Software

The software developed by Razer for all their products is probably the main reason why gamers prefer Razer over any other brand, and I understood why once I downloaded and installed the software myself. The software comes in two parts:

Razer Synapse

Razer Cortex

Razer Cortex is a software enabling you to customize your games individually just like NVIDIA GeForce Experience but also gives you the ability to optimize your Windows settings for the best gaming experience. Once you open Razer Cortex, you will see two tabs: “Game Booster” and “System Booster.” Game Booster displays all your games and lets you optimize them universally or individually and even launch the game you want without opening the game client first. Game Booster also boosts your game performance by cleaning RAM and making sure that your CPU primarily focuses on the game you are currently playing for the optimal experience.

For advanced users, optimizing graphical settings for maximum performance is easy, but for most gamers, adjusting those settings themselves is not something they would do. Game Booster takes care of that as well by a setting displayed as “Enable game power solutions.” An “Auto-Boost” slide on top automatically chooses the best settings for you by closing unnecessary programs, without having to worry about basic Windows operations to stop functioning. The “FPS” tab allows you to display your frames per second in-game and you get to decide where you want the FPS to be shown in-game.

If you do not like monitoring software like MSI Afterburner, for example, you can use the FPS overlay feature to display your FPS, although MSI Afterburner gives you far more options to work with. But for merely displaying your FPS count, the Razer software is more than enough.

Razer Synapse is where the RGB magic happens. It is here where the Razer Chroma lighting with 16.8 million customizable color options come into play. Under the “Chroma” tab you can customize every part of the Razer Basilisk individually being able to choose between a plethora of lighting effects and colors. Personally, I have not played around much, since I am not a big RGB fan, but it should satisfy even the most demanding RGB fanatics.

You can customize your programmable buttons under the “Mouse” tab by clicking on “Customize.” The “Performance” tab gives you five sensitivity stages you can choose from and customize, the polling rate adjustment slide as well as the ability to open the Windows mouse properties. One the sensitivity stages are set, you have access to them via the two sensitivity buttons which are situated under the scroll.

With the “Lighting” tab, you can adjust the brightness of your chosen colors, switch off lighting when your computer is in idle mode or when the display is turned off. I have chosen “Spectrum Cycling” and have not played around with any other effects since then. But that is entirely up to you.

The “Profiles” tab lets you create as many profiles as you want and link them to specific games. Setting up each game individually is very easy, and all game settings and created profiles can be controlled via the Razer Synapse software.

Design

The design of the Razer Basilisk is controversial. Many like it, others do not. The Razer Basilisk comes with the classic black body design with the default green Razer logo displayed at the bottom. The most significant design change with the Basilisk is the thumb rest taking away from the more linear and simplistic design of other Razer mice and is the buy or don’t buy factor for most gamers.

It is evident that the Razer Basilisk was designed with functionality and not aesthetics in mind and since this mouse is targeted to fans of the FPS genre, it is understandable why many would not prefer it and go with the Deathadder Elite or any other Razer mouse instead.

Gamers with bigger hands might find the Basilisk uncomfortable since their thumb might extend beyond the thumb rest. The Basilisk is a bulky mouse and does not give enough space for people with bigger hands. But that should not worry the majority of people who have average hands. I did not like the design choice at first, but once I played around with the Razer Basilisk for a few hours, I realized that the thumb rest and the bulky design are there for functionality and fit in brilliantly well with my hand.

Unfortunately, for left-handed people, the Razer Basilisk is out of the question since the thumb rest is on the left side of the mouse just under the customizable DPI clutch. The two sensitivity buttons are easy to reach just under the customizable scroll, and you can change the DPI on the fly.

Performance

The performance advantage of the Razer Basilisk becomes evident when playing FPS games. If you are into games like Overwatch, Battlefield, Rainbow Six Siege or Call of Duty, you will love this mouse. The DPI “sniper” clutch is ideal for head shooting your opponents. The 5G sensor allows for precise movement tracking in milliseconds. As said before, the Basilisk will not make you a pro in FPS games, but it will give you the feeling of being one and the 16.000 DPI is a feature that will let you play with a huge variety of sensitivity stages.

Price

What makes the Razer Basilisk irresistible is its price point. You should be able to find it around $60 – $70, which, in combination with its premium features makes the Razer Basilisk not only the best Razer gaming mouse but arguably the best gaming mouse on the market today. You not only get all the features but the price to performance ratio is incredible as well.

Conclusion

The Razer Basilisk is an impressive mouse every FPS lover should consider as their next mouse upgrade. While the design might not be appealing to many gamers, the Basilisk has been designed with functionality in mind over aesthetics and if I can not convince you to get your hands on it, a visit to your local store undeniably will. All my skepticism has disappeared after using this mouse for over a year now. The in-game experience is silky smooth, the customization options are endless, and the “bulky” design choice will not bother you once you get used it. Ultimately, if the design is the only thing that keeps you from getting the Razer Basilisk, I can ensure you that you will not be disappointed.

I hope that you liked my review of the Razer Basilisk. What mouse do you have sitting on your desk? Would you buy the Razer Basilisk or do you prefer another brand? I would like to hear your two cents in the comment section below.

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Comments 10

Moisty14/01/2019

A pretty good review, but I’d still only but the Razer Blade if I was to buy a Razer product.

Thank you. Yes, I totally understand, I was pretty skeptical, too, but the Basilisk convinced me and I have not regretted my decision. I am curious to see how the mouse will perform in a couple of years.

I always believe that reviews can make or break a product.It’s the most favorable reviews that I will base my decision on when it comes to purchasing.

It seems to me that based on your review that the Razer Basilisk is the right mouse to choose from. It’s always better to spend a little more sometimes to get a better product and if it’s up against a product with the same price then it’s a no-brainer.

It sounds like the Razer Cortex is the software to have because to me speed is important and so is functionality!So you would say that the Razer Basilisk is definitely the better performer?

The Razer Basilisk comes with the best features for its price point. Not only that but there is no other mouse from any other brand that can compete with the specifications that the Razer Basilisk offers. The Razer Cortex and Razer Synapse are a bundle and they are supposed to be used together. I would definitely recommend this mouse to anyone and the only other brand I would suggest is Logitech.

I am just getting into gaming and always love to learn tricks from seasoned gamers like you. It’s interesting to know that the type of mouse can affect the performance of a game. I too have heard of how Razors products are exorbitantly priced, but it’s nice to know that for once there is a top notch product from them in mice. I will check out the Razer Basilisk.Many thanks for your review and best regards.

Thank you very much. The Razer Basilisk is definitely worth checking out. If you happen to be on the search for a new mouse and enjoy playing first-person shooter games, the Razer Basilisk will not disappoint you.

Oh my daughter would love this. She has been craving for the perfect gaming PC set. This one would solve one piece of the puzzle. What do you recommend for gaming keyboard, monitor and other specs for the best gaming experience? This is very helpful by the way. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you. I would suggest setting up the desktop with all different PC parts first and do not spend too much on peripherals like keyboard and mouse. I always recommend this inexpensive but great mechanical keyboard. As far as the monitor is concerned, it depends on how much money you are willing to spend and on what resolution you want to play.